Inevitable
by greyskiesseemright
Summary: Scorpius and Rose were just two lonely people living in a world of pure prejudice and hatred that, somehow, find a way to help each other during the most challenging of times.
1. Prologue

**"Together, they gave up a long time ago. They showed no sympathy; no remorse. They were no longer enemies, but far from being friends. They were just two lonely people living in a world of pure prejudice and hatred that, somehow, find a way to help each other during the most challenging of times."**

_**"I want to break every clock; the hands of time could never move again. We could stay in this moment, for the rest of our lives. Is it over now hey, hey, is it over now? We end up hurting the worst, the only ones we really love."**_

_**Inevitable – Anberlin**_

**"Those who hate most fervently must have once loved deeply; those who want to deny the world must have once embraced what they now set on fire."**

Inevitable

_Prologue_

…

Why is it that when a person thinks of evil, they relate it to that of hatred?

When a person is unwillingly categorized as malignant, strangers are quick to assume the worst in them. They possess no adoration, no heart. They're cold-blooded. They have no feelings, no emotions. They feel no pain-not others, and especially not their own. These beings hold no good bone in their body. Some people are just pure evil.

People judge.

Yet, it isn't completely fair to judge, is it?

You only know of these people by name; not of their story. Why so quick to assume the worst? They may just be like you. They may just be showing the true hatred that is truly planted inside of everyone.

But just as there is hatred inside of every kind person, there is goodness inside beings that hate. There is no reason to criticize, as most do. Yet, as much as you think people who are laced in hatred do nothing but despise, you may just be the evil one for thinking such things to begin with.


	2. Chapter 1: At the End of the Day

Inevitable

_Chapter 1: At the End of the Day_

…

Why life is the way it is depends on how you look at it.

If you have an open-mind, life seems a tad bit enjoyable. When life is easy, everything else seems to be as well. Easier to live in; easier to understand.

Rose Weasley, of course, had inherited her mother's intelligence.

Bypassing mostly every student, no matter the age, enrolled at Hogwarts was a fairly easy task for her. She surpassed their brains by eons. Rose was knowledgeable of this aspect, yet, it rarely fazed her. She was proud enough to always know she'd be guaranteed anything she wanted academically. Rose was her mother in every way possible-from the unruly wavy hair to the thin physique. It was hard to believe that she could be a carbon copy of her mother, and have the personality of her father. Just as her father was undeniably stubborn, Rose had inherited the trait too.

Rose sat silently at her own table, in the dimly lit athenaeum located within walls of her beloved school.

Her favorite place just happened to be this library for a number of reasons.

The first, being the books. She adored books.

Second, Hogwarts was her home away from home. It brought Rose joy to no end and this library especially brought familiarity of her family and fictional friends.

The last reason would no doubt be the quiet. When living with the noisy group of girls Rose was forced with, quiet time to yourself was a very rare occurrence. Being lonesome was level with perpetual happiness.

Much to her dismay, however, she wasn't _particularly_ alone today.

He sat no more than fifteen feet away, sternly studying a Potions book for what seemed to be hours. His gaze never moved from the page, from what Rose could see, and it seemed that he hadn't dared to move his body an inch, either. She hated to stare; especially since there was no reason to look at him in the first place.

Rose would never consider them friends, nor true enemies. They had been rivals at one period of time in their first year together, as expected. It seemed to be inevitable for he was clearly a Malfoy. How could someone not see instantly that he was in relation to one, Draco Malfoy? His pale, pointed features were evident to any person. His strait blonde hair hung in front of his ocean-deep grey eyes, and he was tall and thin. Lanky, yet oddly strong. It was almost as if they could be twins, aside from the obvious age difference and relation.

Rose couldn't deny that he was truly intelligent as well as irrevocably good-looking. He matched her intelligence and vigorous determination with every wily move he made. It drove her mad, knowing she was always competing with him somehow. They shared many of the same classes, but were not in the same house. He was in Slytherin, of course, just as his parents had, as she was in Gryffindor, just as her own dear mother and father.

She had to hate him. It was almost inevitable that Rose and Scorpius would never get along the way other civilized people, muggles or not, behaved. It just wasn't written in the books for these two.

Rose looked back down to her book and away from the boy in front of her. There was no reason to stare, really.

It was almost half past eight when she had finally finished up a good chunk of her book and decided to turn in for the night. She silently rose from her seat and crossed the library, heading towards the aisle where her book had been kept. Before she knew what she was doing and where she was going, her body impacted with another.

"Shite," the person muttered, as Rose regained her composure, and started to heave herself off the floor. When she was upright, her eyes focused on the person she had accidently walked into.

"_Oi_!" Rose sighed. "Sorry about that."

Scorpius scowled and returned her apology with a nasty look. "Make sure it doesn't happen again, Weasley."

Her eyebrows knit together in frustration. "It wasn't entirely my fault."

"You clearly were not paying attention," there was a brief pause. "For someone so smart, you are utterly daft."

"I am nothing of the sort!" Rose's voice rose with the anger that was building from inside her. Why was he picking a fight with her? She clearly hadn't knocked into him on purpose.

"I beg to differ," he exclaimed, crossing his pale arms across his chest.

"Well no one cares what you think!" She was fuming. How dare he insult her like that? Everyone knew she was one of the brightest, if not the brightest, witch residing in that bloody school. What made him any different?

He held up his hands defensively. "There is no need to throw a wobbler, Weasley. Nor is there a need to be so irrational." His voice matched her volume as they continued their banter.

"You started it! If you hadn't been so rude about it…"

"Rude?" He laughed haughtily. "I am not being rude!"

"Sure you are!" Her voice rose higher and more hysterical with each passing second. Boy was he pissing her off.

"I am not! Stop being such a _child_, Weasley."

"Me? A _child_?" She sincerely hated him with all her being. "And stop calling me Weasley!"

"It's your name!"

"That is not true; my name is Ros-"

"Hush, both of you!" There came a scratchy voice from behind the two students.

Rose's head whipped around to find the aged librarian, Madam Pince, standing there, shaking her tiny head. "You do realize you are in the library after hours, don't you?" She continued on to ask, and received a nod from both Scorpius and Rose. "Scatter now, both of you!"

Without another thought, Rose collected her books, slung her bag over her shoulder and sauntered out of the library, dismissing an almost silent apology to Irma. She wasn't sure if Scorpius had indeed followed the old woman's instructions as well until she felt him brush passed her arm.

"Good going," she called out to him as he walked in front of her down the corridor outside her dormitory.

"Wasn't my fault," he yelled from over his shoulder.

"It absolutely was!"

Scorpius turned then, walking back over to where she had stopped. "You're very annoying; you do know that, right?"

She scoffed in disgust. "I beg to differ."

"Well, it's true. I don't think I've ever met someone so…," he paused, finding the word he was looking for. "…_vexatious_."

She stared him down with such a withering glare; she thought she may break him.

But truth was, her expectations were far from reality and she knew her glowering wasn't as powerful as she'd hoped. Her thoughts were confirmed when a loud, booming laugh erupted from his throat.

"What's so funny?" she demanded, although she already had an idea.

"Oh, _nothing_."

"Malfoy, I demand you to tell me right now!"

"You demand me, eh? Wow, than I most certainly must share with you then," Scorpius teased.

"You little-"

"Miss Weasley, Mr. Malfoy?"

"Shite," Rose muttered again under her breath while she turned to face her headmistress, Professor McGonagall, as came up from her behind her. _'Déjà vu_,' Rose thought, only to herself. _'Everyone here must be looking out for me. How thoughtful.'_

"Headmistress," Scorpius greeted the old woman politely, and with a small smile.

"Gallivanting after hours, I see?" She questioned. Neither Rose nor Scorpius responded to their headmistress when she continued. "If you two will follow me to my office?"

Rose fell right into step with Headmistress McGonagall while Scorpius fell behind. It was a short distance from where they had been, but Rose somehow wished there was more time to come up with a way to explain her cause while not sounding guilty. Although, there was no reason for finding an excuse; what was there to explain? She had clearly been making her way up to her dormitory, as she was directed, when Scorpius had found it necessary to bother her…

When they arrived to McGonagall's office, they were motioned to sit down in the twin chairs set across the Headmistress' desk.

"Now, let's explain the punishment for your absence from bed, hmm?"

"Headmistress, I assure you, I was on my way back to my dorm-"

"Rose, I'm well aware where you were going. It's the fact that you were having a rather loud row right outside the Gryffindor dormitory. I'm sure you both awoke a few other students. That isn't fair now, is it?"

"I'm certain we were not disturbing anyone…"

"I do not want to disagree, Scorpius. I saw the dispute between the two of you with my own to eyes, so there is no need to deny anything."

"Yes Ma'am," he replied flatly, showing no emotion at all. Rose hated how sensational he thought he really was.

"Ten points from both Slytherin and Gryffindor?" She asked rhetorically after nodding in Scorpius' direction. "Seems fair enough, yes?"

"Yes, Headmistress," both Scorpius and Rose answered in unison.

McGonagall paused before saying, "Alright, off to your own dormitories you two."

"Goodnight," Rose offered an apologetic smile and walked off towards her dorm respectively.

She started off towards her dorm, wanting nothing more than to just fall into a deep sleep and act as if this whole incident never happened. This small incident was not something Rose was proud of. She strongly disliked having any negative confrontation with any of her respective school officials. _Especially_ McGonagall.

Of course, Scorpius wouldn't let it go. "Come back here, Weasley. I wanted to thank you for getting me in trouble," Rose heard from behind her just as she made it to the portrait hole. She turned around to face him, a mix of annoyance and exhaustion painting her features.

She rolled her eyes and sighed deeply. "Goodnight, Malfoy."

"Goodnight, Weasley."


	3. Chapter 2: Spectacular

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the canon characters, unfortunately, but I do take credit for the plot and minor original characters.**

Inevitable

_Chapter 2: Spectacular_

…

"Oh, Al, must you stuff your face at every meal?"

Albus Potter looked up at his cousin through the enormous chicken leg he had been currently devouring like he was some sort of vicious animal. His female cousin was just purely disgusted. "Yes, I must."

Rose giggled as he continued to annihilate the rest of the meal on his plate. She could never quite understand how her cousin was able to eat so much in so little time. It seemed mental to her, but then again, all boys are mental in their own way, she assumes. It was a very true statement according to her mother and her lot of different friends with their own male problems.

"'Sup, _Posie_?"

"James Potter, I told you to never call me that again," Rose turned to glower at her older cousin.

"So?" He asked her sarcastically, grinning ear-to-ear. "Never stopped me before."

The word mental ran through her mind once more and she smiled.

"Does that mean I'm forgiven?" James asked referencing to the grin plastered on her face, while coming to join Al and her at their usual table on the Gryffindor side of the great dining hall.

"Never," she responded, swatting his hand away when he tried to swipe the last of her dinner from her plate. "Coming from a fly?" Rose asked her cousin, motioning towards his dark wind-blown hair.

"Not anything of the sort, _actually_."

Rose nodded and looked away, but not much more than a second passed until her widened eyes found James' again.

"Who was it this time?" Hugo asked, coming up from behind the three cousins. "No, wait; let me guess. The Hufflepuff girl, what's her name? Alexandria…Blue, no, Greene?"

"Something like that," James agreed.

"Nice!"

"That's repulsive, James," Rose commented, her face scrunching up in utter disgust. "Can't you just settle with one girl instead of _bagging_ each one of them?"

He laughed. "You're only saying that because you're a girl."

"So what if I'm a girl? You boys go around snogging other girls like it some kind of…_achievement_."

"Well, depending on the girl…it can be considered an-" Hugo started.

"For Merlin's sake, Hugo! Wait until I tell Mum and Dad about the things you are saying right now."

"Oh shush, Rosie. It's not like you're a perfect little angel," James intervened.

"I am too."

"Really?" Al laughed.

"Yes really."

"You cannot be perfect," James said. "I heard that you and one Scorpius Malfoy were caught having a row by McGonagall. I'm sure your mother wouldn't be too proud to hear of your after school activities. Especially with a Malfoy," he laughed haughtily.

James too hated Scorpius just as much as Rose, if not more. They had been sworn enemies since the time they arrived at Hogwarts, and it started nearly with the fact that the two were offspring of Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy. They're little rivalry continued into Qudditch, where they were often set up against one another as the role of seeker. After a while, though, it seemed to be just a mutual hatred the two of them eventually just put aside and ignore.

"So? Mum and Dad would completely understand."

"Aunt Hermione, maybe," James stressed, "But not my Uncle Ron."

Rose huffed. "I cannot listen to this anymore," she stood up and snatched her books from the table viciously. "'Night, Al."

"See you in the morning, Rose!" Al returned her farewell cheerfully.

She could hear both her brother and James laughing as she padded away from the table and out toward her dorm.

As much as she loved all her cousins, she could not deal to be around the boys for long. They all had a mind of their own, and sometimes, she wondered how she can be of blood relation with each one of them. Aside from Al, she would never dare to confide in them, for they are never able to keep their mouths shut. Each girl they snog, shag, or fooled around with was shared between them, like they were best girlfriends. They always seemed to compete with each other when it came to their sex drives, as well. Rose just couldn't wrap her head around the fact that they found shagging girls as some sort of accomplishment.

She also couldn't stand the fact that James had decided to bring up the entire Scorpius situation when she had very successfully forgotten of the incident for a period of time.

Rose finally made her way into the Gryffindor common room, which was unusually empty for this time of day. She climbed the stairs to her room, which was also completely empty-Not that she minded the quiet. It seemed to be her favorite thing as of recently.

…

"Why is it that this class is so boring?" Al muttered to his cousin as they sat side-by-side in their Potions class, passively listening to their professor, who was reviewing the difference between an elixir and a philter. Rose knew this material all too well…not only because she had studied it the week before, knowing that the material would show up in class at some point soon, but because it was something she had learned from her Uncle George, who sold the types of potions himself at his shop.

Al, on the other hand, was clearly not as interested in the difference regardless if Uncle George had also gone over the information with him as well.

"It is truly interesting, Al, you mustn't assume the worst," she whispered back, fiddling with a few stray stands of her curly Weasley-ginger hair.

Her eyes absentmindedly left the teacher's demonstrations as she looked around the classroom for what seemed like hours. She scanned the students, starting from the front and working her way back until she reached the row of desks in front of her own. She noticed her one roommate, Aria, fiddling with her own hair while sitting in the front row next to Liam, a Slytherin. Next to her was Alexandria, the girl James had supposedly _spent time_ with. Across the aisle from the two girls was a tall, thin pale blonde who she completely despised.

She sneered as she thought back to the night, just last week, when Scorpius Malfoy had gotten her in trouble with not only the librarian, but their headmistress, too. Not only was she mortified to be found having a row with him by McGonagall, but it had also been in the first month of her sixth year. She didn't want her perfectly-perfect reputation ruined because some hot-head, egotistical jerk decided to pick a fight with her. Her record as far as trouble goes was fairly clear. Aside from the one time in her second year, when she had been caught disagreeing with James in a spells class.

Why was it that Scorpius had been so cruel to her that night? She clearly hadn't run into him on purpose. To be honest, the library had been so quiet that Rose couldn't even hear him moving around or breathing, so how could she possibly had known he was there?

She knew she was reading too much into this. There was no reason to anyway, was there? Rose wasn't completely sure.

"Hey, Weasley? Grab my quill for me? I dropped it."

Rose turned to face the pale, pretentious face of Scorpius. "Forget the word, _please_, Malfoy? Or have you never learned it in the first place?"

He scoffed, "Good one," Scorpius replied sarcastically. "Well, go on then, pick it up."

Rose glared at the blonde through slits. Here he went again, pushing her buttons. He knew exactly what buttons to push, too.

Slowly, Rose got up from her seat silently when her professor's back was to the class to retrieve Scorpius' quill. She forced a smile on her face until she was struck with an idea. It was easy to smile then for just about when she was to give him back his quill, she snapped the writing utensil in half. Still grinning ear-to-ear, Rose set the pieces onto his desk, right beside his hands. "You're welcome."

And with that, she turned and sat back down.

Professor Condraci spoke up then, getting the attention from every student in the room aside from a still uninterested Albus Potter, and an open-mouthed, very stunned Scorpius Malfoy.

"I will be assigning you all partners before the end of this week. You, along with your partner, will pick up one card that I have come up with. On the card will be a potion that you are to brew, and present at the end of the week. Each potion is very much different, so swapping research will do none of you any good," her mouth was set in a tight line. "If I were you, I'd take this assignment very seriously. It's not only important for you all to understand the responsibility of conducting an experiment, but also the responsibility of working together with a partner," she paused. "Good luck!"

…

"Oh, this would happen to me!"

"Rosie, calm down. It's not that horrible, I mean he's-"

"He is _horrible_, Albus Potter. I cannot, and I mean it when I say _cannot_, work with Scorpius Malfoy on this bloody potions project!" Rose screeched-frustration and anger laced and twisted in her voice.

Al shook his head while rolling his eyes. It seemed like he had been rolling his eyes a lot lately when it came to his favorite cousin. "It seems like you'll have to deal. I mean, do you think I want to work with Lorcan Scamander? Bloody mental that one is."

"You're lucky," Rose huffed. "Do you mind switching partners?"

Al laughed. "Sure, Rose. Let's run that passed Professor Condraci and see how she feels about it, eh?"

"You're right," Rose joined in, "She'd never go for it."

Al changed the subject on Rose's behalf. "What potion do you have to brew, then?"

"Black fire," she responded. "Good thing I know nothing of it."

"That's a first," Al chuckled. "I've got the sleeping draught."

"Oh!" Rose exclaimed angrily. "I could brew that in my sleep!"

"Well, just look on the bright side-"

"There is no bright side."

Together, Al and Rose began a laughing fit, eventually doubling over with sore stomachs at the irony. Of course there could be no bright side to this situation. Scorpius and his family were the epitome of dark.

Right before the Hogwarts Express left for the school in the beginning of her very first year, her father had strongly advised his only daughter to watch out for the Malfoy kid.

What her parents had continued to inform her about the Malfoy's, right before her third year, was very vague. Rose understood, of course. Not only was their time at Hogwarts with Uncle Harry an exciting experience, but it had also been a hard one, having to do a great deal with the Malfoy family.

"_Rose, dear, the Malfoy's…well, the Malfoy's are not the safest folk to be around. I'd be cautious when hanging out with Scorpius," Hermione had warned her, the night before she left for Kings Cross, along with the rest of her family for the third time. She had been so excited about returning back to the school of wizardry, that she had begun randomly blurting out names of friendly faces she was all too ecstatic to see once more._

"_But Mum, I'm not hanging around with Scorpius! He's just, well, he's just there. He's in most of my classes and-"_

_Ron coughed, interrupting his daughter's thoughts. "Rosie, just be careful, alright? Trust us when we tell you to do so."_

_Rose nodded. Of course she would obey her parents, why wouldn't she? She trusted them to no end, and believed that they were only looking out for her, as all parents do. They cared so much for her, and she knew it. They had their reasons for disliking the Malfoy family, and for whatever the reason happened to be, she'd obey nonetheless. "I will."_

Throughout Roses' third year, her father's words had run rampant in her mind. Whenever he was near, whether it be in class or just a pass by in the Great Hall, all she could think of was, _'Be careful.'_He didn't scare her, but she had always had a curious conscience when she thought about him (which wasn't often.) In fact, she hadn't had much interaction him before last week since fourth year. Scorpius had always just been there; not a relevant being in her everyday life.

But why had it seemed that since she had become in contact with him just recently that she had to be stuck with him again under the worst of circumstances?

Rose had decided this next week was just going to _spectacular_.


	4. Chapter 3: Only the Beginning

**UPDATE; 4-10-11: I conjoined this chapter along with the next one I had already posted to have more of a consistency. Nothing too horrible, I hope.**

**Enjoy.**

Inevitable

_Chapter 3: Only the Beginning_

"_Scorpius_?"

No answer.

"Scorpius?"

No answer.

"Scorpius!"

His head popped up from the desk, "What?" Scorpius rubbed roughly at his eyes, peering through slits to look at Rose. His hair lay distorted on his scalp, and his face scarlet from lying flat against the table.

"We are nowhere near done with this assignment," she informs him, shaking her head. "…and you decide to take a nap. _Unbelievable_."

Rose shifted uncomfortably in her seat as Scorpius sat up strait, grabbing the piece of parchment from her hand. "Fine," he stated. "What do you want me to do, Mum?" He skimmed through the words that had been scribbled on the parchment. "You have terrible handwriting." She rolled her eyes out of fury and he continued. "Merlin, none of this makes any sense."

She shook her head, "It's so kind of you to appreciate the work I've been doing without you for the past hour and a half," Rose replied sarcastically, snatching the paper from his hands and began to scribble on it once more. "And for your information, I am not your mother."

"No, I suppose you're not."

"Would you mind helping me?" Rose asked him sardonically, ignoring his response. "At least make an effort."

"Fine, fine," Scorpius sighed, grabbing a fresh piece of parchment on the other side of Rose. "What would you like me to do?"

"Oh, I don't know…write something!"

"I would," he started, "But I happen to be lacking something of importance."

"And what would that be?"

"A quill."

Scorpius looked at her, biting his lip to keep from bursting a gut with laughter. The sour look on her face was priceless.

'_Wise ass_,' Rose thought to herself.

"You see," he decided to continue. "This _very_ headstrong female tore mine to pieces after I kindly asked her to pick it up for me yesterday afternoon. Not very nice of her is it?"

"I'm sure she had more than enough reason to break your quill."

Scorpius laughed. She was _so_ stubborn!

Rose handed him a new quill from her bag when he asked, "Going to give me something to do, then?"

"Make a list of the things we'll need for a Black Fire potion," Rose demanded, resting her head on her balled fist.

He sneered. "Really; that's what we have to brew for our assignment? I've never even heard of it before!"

Rose glared at him. "Then this won't be easy for either one of us. You might want to start getting a move on your part."

His light eyebrows rose. "My, my, Weasley," Scorpius was teasing her again, she was sure of it. "Telling me what to do now, are we? I never knew you were one to be so," he paused, the next word just a breath passing his lips. "…_controlling_."

She nodded. "There's a lot you don't know about me, it seems."

"True," Scorpius agreed, looking her strait in the face. "I take it you keep to yourself then?"

"No," she replied. "I just don't confide in nasty jerks, that's all."

"Brave," he choked out. "To be calling me a jerk and all. Sometimes I wonder if you forget who I am."

"I guess that's why I'm a Gryffindor; because I'm not afraid to say it to your face. And I happen to know exactly who you are, Malfoy; a slick git."

"Wow," he commented, feigning hurt. "Twice in one minute. Want to continue insulting me?" Scorpius was angry now.

"No," she was getting good at knowing just what buttons to push until he downright lost it. "I'm done for now."

…

The rest of the afternoon working with Scorpius was nothing but frustrating. Rose's tongue almost split in half with the strength of her bite, keeping from saying anything-trying so hard just to get her work done and be far away from him as possible.

She picked up her books roughly, shoving them in her knapsack, throwing it around her shoulders and donning her robes.

"Have fun working on your part in this assignment, Scorpius," she commented before leaving him and the library behind. "I'm sure you'll be here all night."

"For your information, Weasley, I happen to be done with my work-for today at least. I'm sure you'll throw more at me tomorrow."

"Throw at you?" she scoffed, "You're absurd! I'm not throwing anything at you. It's required that you have a share in the project so I'm not left to finish it on my own."

He ran his long, thin fingers through his hair and twisted it upward. "What's the point? You'll most likely revise the work I've done already."

"Possibly."

Rose no longer needed to be in his presence, she decided. So, with that, she shook her head and walked out on him.

She was going to find Al-she desperately needed to vent.

…

"So, how was your afternoon working with Scorpius?"

Rose and Albus sat among only a few others in the Gryffindor common room, close to the end of the evening. Poking the fire with a stick, Albus stared up at his cousin who was quietly studying a book that he'd seen her reading on more than one occasion.

She rolled her eyes in the direction of Albus, without taking her eyes off her book. "Oh, Al," Rose murmured. "Why bring such nonsense up?"

"So I'm guessing it went negatively?" He pushed sarcastically. Obviously it was exactly as if Rose had planned. It was useless; _he_ was useless.

"Your guess is absolutely correct."

He chuckled deeply. "Why don't you just try to be civilized with him, Rose?"

She turned away from her book and looked at him from her seat fully. Her eyebrows quirked, mouth dangling open. "You really have to ask?" She questioned him seriously when outing her state of shock.

"Well, I know he isn't your favorite person, not to mention him being enemies with James, but-"

"…_But_, my dad was clear that I must beat him at everything. He would throw a wobbly if I were to become friends with the son of Draco Malfoy!"

"Oh, Rose, you and I both know this isn't about Uncle Ron. For Merlin's sake, that was so long ago. I'm sure he would understand fully if you were to become friends with him."

Rose shook her head, "There's no way I'd ever be friends with a prat like him anyhow."

"You could at least try?" He asked instead of suggesting. If he were to suggest anything farther than he already had, she'd have hexed him one million times over without a second thought.

"No."

"Alright," his voice drifted, and Rose ignored his response and turned back to her book. "But you know if you were to be kind to him, this entire potions project may be a tad bit easier."

Rose's head slowly turned in his direction once again. "What did you just say?"

"All I'm saying is that maybe, _just_ maybe," Al paused. "If you were on friendlier terms with Scorpius that working on your potion may not be so bad. He may even listen to you."

"Say what you want, Albus. It's never going to happen!"

…

Weekend trips to Hogsmeade were what Albus Potter lived for.

He loved being able to free himself from the restrictions of the castle, go out for a stroll with his most loved people, and even pick up a few sweets from the shops. There was no other place that truly made him happier, and every time he received a signed permission slip from his parents, he could never be more excited.

This weekend happened to be a Hogsmeade trip, and that's all he could think about as he sat in Herbology.

It seemed that he had been daydreaming much more often than usual these past few weeks. It may be the fact that life had been oddly routine. He'd wake, eat his normal breakfast with Rose, go off to his first class, then second, then keep going until lunch arrived, then more classes until dinner had finally came. He'd spend all his other time studying.

There had been no excitement in his life lately. Nothing seemed to be worth bragging about, yet he didn't really mind. Albus could always rely on Rose's unusually eventful life to entertain him.

Although it bothered her beyond belief, Al thought of the issues between his cousin and Scorpius Malfoy was extremely humorous. Rose was the smartest witch in this school, but she was also the most stubborn. Others may think of this as bothersome, but he thought of it to be the funniest thing. If only she'd listen to him and just be kind to Scorpius! Life for Rose could be so much smoother. There wouldn't be so much disagreement and teasing-she may actually finish the potion correctly without ripping her enemy's head off!

Al's thoughts slowly drifted away from Rose's issues with the Malfoy kid and back to his weekend at Hogsmeade.

…

Rose and Scorpius had only previously met once for their potions project, much to Rose's dismay. Sure, it was more than lovely being away from such scum, but the project needed to be completed regardless.

Scorpius, rarely ever seen by Rose, had been mysteriously off on his own little agenda since the last time she had seen him. She despised not only him personally, but also the fact that he showed no concern about the outcome of their project, and how it could affect their grades-_her_ grade!

Whether or not her partner received her note she'd sent him earlier in the afternoon about meeting once more for their assignment, Rose was off to the library to do more research on her own. It was unfair for her to be subjugated to doing the work by her lonesome, but she'd do it nevertheless. There was no way the reason for her failing would be Scorpius Malfoy.

Just as Rose was about to sit down at the only vacant table located close to the front, someone farther away was calling her name….well, what _he_ thought to be her name anyway.

"Weasley!"

She followed his voice towards the back of the library, where she found him sitting by himself at his own table. Feet propped up on the table, hands resting behind his head, and the books he rarely seemed to be using next to him in a sloppy pile.

How he received excellent grades, Rose would never know.

"Nice of you to show up," she commented and he rolled his eyes.

"Nice of _you_ to finally show up," he mocked, "I've been here a good minute without you. I was afraid that I'd have to finish up this little project of ours by myself. Good thing you're here now," Scorpius added sarcastically. He could care less if she showed up or not. She would finish the project on her own regardless.

"Yes, it is a good thing I'm here," Rose said after taking a seat across from him. "Without me you'd get nowhere."

"Nowhere? And where exactly would be going otherwise?"

"I meant…we'd, I mean, you would get…you would get nowhere without me here," she stammered. Why was he staring at her like that? It was so intent she was sure he was scorching her eyes. She shut them just to make sure. '_All good_.'

"Of course."

She was just purely frustrated now. "Can the two of us just please get this over with?"

"I'm just as willing as you are to be done with it."

"Good," she glowered at him.

"Yes, good."

There was an awkward silence then. Rose, although very uncharacteristic, wished so badly for him to say something. Anything he said would be better than the feeling of his eyes burning a deep hole through her skull. Like the way he kept looking at her now.

…

"Can I ask you something, Scorpius?"

"If you must."

Rose took time before speaking up again. To Scorpius, she looked rather calm, but her thoughts were nothing of the sort. She was confused. "Where are you?" She laughed at the idiocy to her question. "What I mean is I haven't seen you around. You haven't been in Charms or Potions the past couple of days."

He looked down. "You haven't been ill have you?" Rose asked.

With his eyes still planted on the floor, he responded. "I've just been catching up on some work."

"Oh?"

"For teachers, and all."

"Right," she nodded. "Has there been work I've missed?"

"No."

"Okay," she paused. "Can I ask you something else?"

"Sure."

"Are you really as bad as everyone says?"

He chucked then, making Rose jump in her seat a bit. It was so sudden, she hadn't been expecting it.

He looked up into her eyes finally, and ran one of his lanky hands through the blonde locks upon his head. "Bad? How so, Weasley?"

She rolled her eyes. It was Rose! R-o-s-e. Why must he always call her by her last name? He spoke to her as if she was beneath him, and she despised him for it. "_Rose_," she corrected him.

"Fine," he corrected himself. "…_Rose_."

"What I meant is you seem to have this awfully large reputation for being the bad boy. Every girl marvels over the fact that you've been able to shag every female enrolled in this bloody school."

He looked at her sternly, trying his best not to explode into a fit of hysterical laughter. "All but one."

"One?" Her eyes widened then. "That possibly can't be true."

He laughed, and Rose took that for him only joking. _'Phew.'_

"Can I ask _you_ something, Rose?" She made no move to respond, so he continued on without her saying another word. "What makes you think that isn't true?"

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath through her nose. "You're not all that," Rose responded, opening her eyes a few, short seconds later.

"Not all that?" He couldn't help but laugh. She sounded like such a muggle. It was comical to Scorpius, but he knew others wouldn't think the same.

Well _one_ person in particular…

Rose, at this point, couldn't help but wonder if she and Scorpius were moving in the right direction. Was there actually a chance that they could put everything aside and just get this assignment over with? She was being kind to him…taking advantage of Al's suggestion, no less. And it seemed to be rather…easy?

_Too_ easy.

"Can we just, go back to work? I won't make you brew it alone."

"Sure."


	5. Chapter 4: A Mix of Defiance and Trust

**AN: I am REALLY unsure about the timing of events in this one. This is a big chapter, and I was unsure if I should have waited to post it. The mood of the story so far is pretty light, and I want to slowly have it turn into something a bit darker…but I feel as if I'm rushing too quickly to get that point across. **_**Hmm**_**. I would love to know your thoughts on the subject.**

**Nevertheless, in this chapter you'll start to get a peek into what Scorpius is thinking and feeling, as well as Rose's thoughts too!**

**Enjoy AND review, loves!**

Inevitable

_Chapter 4: A Mixture of Defiance and Trust_

_Can I ask __you __something, Rose?" She made no move to respond, so he continued on without her saying another word. "What makes you think that isn't true?"_

_She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath through her nose. "You're not all that," Rose responded, opening her eyes a few, short seconds later._

_"Not all that?" He couldn't help but laugh. She sounded like such a muggle. It was comical to Scorpius, but he knew others wouldn't think the same._

_Well __one __person in particular…_

_Rose, at this point, couldn't help but wonder if she and Scorpius were moving in the right direction. Was there actually a chance that they could put everything aside and just get this assignment over with? She was being kind to him…taking advantage of Al's suggestion, no less. And it seemed to be rather…easy?_

_Too __easy._

_"Can we just, go back to work? I won't make you brew it alone."_

_"Sure_."

...

After a few moments of silence between them, Scorpius spoke up again. Rose hopped in her seat again at the brief sound of his voice.

"Tell me, Rose, what's your family like?"

Rose looked at him from beneath the thin blanket of ringlets covering her eyes. "Time for you to ask questions, now?" He didn't respond. "My family?" She swore under her breath. They had still barely gotten anything done after two full hours. Was he really trying to go off topic? As if they could afford doing so! "You don't want to know," she answered before she could think further. Al's words ran through her head-'Be nice'.

"I do," he pushed on. He leaned all the way back in his chair and crossed his arms across his chest, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Why do you want to know?" She found his sudden interest in her family quite odd. He had never once before shown any interest about them, or her for that matter…

"What's so wrong with me wanting to know a little more about my potions partner?" He responded to her question with his own.

Her eyebrows arched in confusion. "Where to start…" Rose questioned herself quietly. It was true; there was no exact place to start. Between the Weasleys and the Potters, she'd be afraid to leave someone out. "My family's insane. Not in a bad way of course; I do truly love all of them, as much as they get on my nerves sometimes."

"You have many family members I assume?"

"Plenty to go around," she laughed, and he joined in, as if it was some sort of inside joke.

"What are your parents like?"

Rose smiled, her mind flashing with images of her mother and father. "I love them." The smile plastered on her face showed no immediate chance of faltering. Oh, how she missed them. "They're protective, but in a loving way, I guess. Same goes for my Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry."

Scorpius nodded curtly, "Are you close with your Uncle Harry?"

"By all means," she stated, as a matter-of-factly. "Why wouldn't I be?"

He held up his hands defensively, "I was just prying."

Rose tried to understand. "I know you and your family have had their differences with my parents and Uncle Harry, but-"

"I have no problem with your family, Rose, including your Uncle Harry. I haven't had the chance of meeting him, actually," he added. "You must trust that I'm telling the truth."

Rose looked at him, holding his gaze for what seemed like forever when she replied, "I have no reason not to trust you, have I?"

Scorpius didn't dare to look away from her as he replied, "Of course not."

"What about you, Scorpius?"

"About me?" he asked her, pointing childishly at himself. "What about me?"

She smiled softly, politely. "Your family. What are they like?"

Scorpius looked down, almost as if in thought. He drew a short breath through his nose and let it go. "My family," he laughed sardonically. "You don't want to know about my family, Weasley."

"Why not?"

"My family," he repeated again. It seemed to Rose as if he was being cautious enough to say only the right things. As if he was afraid of saying the wrong thing for her own sake… "My family is different than yours."

"Well, obviously, Scorpius. No two families are the same."

"My family is cruel," he said flatly, then continued on before she could get a word in. "They're destructive. They're evil. They do nothing but hate."

Rose shook her head with confusion. "I don't understand."

"Just forget I said anything, alright?" He almost demanded and she quieted, looking at him as if he had five heads. "Let's just get back to work."

…

It seemed as if Rose had searched every end of the castle for Scorpius that next day. She hadn't quite noticed when the evening had arrived, leaving her day of searching high and low in the dust-just time wasted. She didn't understand where he could have run of too or might be after all this time. He wasn't allowed to leave the castle, of course; no one was. He hadn't been in his dormitory or common room, which she had gone to first, only to be stopped by his best mate, Liam who had rudely informed her of his absence from the Slytherin Qudditch practice as well as other activities during the morning. She checked the library next and there was no doubt in her mind that he would be there above anywhere else. However, he hadn't been occupying that space either. Rose was sure that he would be taking a fly if no one had seen him in the castle. Almost as if she expected it, Rose wasn't able to find him on the grounds outside either.

Just when she thought they were getting somewhere with their project; getting somewhere between them, he was nowhere to be found.

Well, would _you_ expect anything less?

…

Movement.

The way she moved had him left in a sort of trance.

He was intrigued to say the very least, and he couldn't take his eyes off her. There must be something wrong with him, right? To look at a Weasley that way…ha! Despicable! So many of his friends would shun him for the dangerous thoughts that ran through his vast mind. 'He couldn't be attracted to a Weasley,' they would say with utter disgust, 'He's a Slytherin-a Malfoy!'

He was just…_curious_.

He was skeptical of not only the way she walked, but everything about her. _Although_, the way she walks didn't even seem to faze her! For Merlin's sake, her hips swayed all the time-whether she was wearing a skirt or goddamn trousers. Was she purposely trying to get a rouse out of her male classmates? She couldn't possibly.

Could she?

Everything and anything that he had once failed to notice before now hit him like a ton of the heaviest bricks. Never had he once noticed the way her hips swayed, how her hair had gone from shoulder-length and bushy to mid-back length and controllable. He hadn't noticed the way her eyes gleamed like pools of chocolate before, or the way her smile lit up an entire room. The only thing he seemed to have noticed was her wit and intelligence; who couldn't?

Sure, her brains were evident to almost anyone that had ever had the chance of meeting her, but now every word that came from her moth as well as everything she did was a surprise. She had the ability to keep everyone on their toes; having them never exactly knowing her next move. She was determined and ambitious. She knew what she wanted and when she wanted it.

Why hadn't Scorpius noticed these things before about her? They were so clear now…when exactly had she gone from a frizzy-haired-know-it-all to a woman?

He laughed at the thought.

He needed to get out of here. Get out of his so-called "home". He needed to leave this place and return to Hogwarts-where he truly belonged. It was the only place he ever belonged.

He _needed_ to return to tell Rose.

She deserved to know what he had been forced to hide, didn't she?

What Scorpius so desperately needed to tell her affected her family just as much as it affected his own. Maybe even a bit more…

…

It was half past seven when Rose woke from a deep sleep. It was _finally_ Saturday, she thought with cheer, until the events of the day before came flooding slowly back to her like a quick slap in the face.

It was still rather early to be so wide awake, especially since the lot of students going to Hogsmeade wouldn't be leaving until way past nine.

Slowly, Rose made her way from her bed to the loo, where she stripped down to nothing for a much needed shower.

Moments later, she emerged from the steam, wrapped herself in a towel and went to retrieve her clothes. It was getting colder outside, so she grabbed a dark brown sweater Grandma Molly had knit and given to her last Christmas, along with a pair of dark washed trousers.

There was barely anyone in the halls when she came down from her dorm, and just as always, she enjoyed the time by her lonesome. The castle was magical when it was just you alone inside. It seemed as if you were this little tiny creature exploring a brand new world for the first time, regardless if you had been spending most of your time there for seven years. It was so magical and she couldn't help but understand why her parents adored this place so much.

Her thoughts and quiet time were then very much interrupted.

"Early riser, Weasley?" He came up from behind her, and Rose wondered how long he had been behind her and she hadn't noticed.

"Not usually," she responded calmly. He nodded. "You?"

"Not usually," Scorpius repeated.

"Coming from somewhere?" She asked with a quirked brow. He looked as if he hadn't slept for days.

"No."

Rose nodded. "You just decide to take an early morning stroll then?"

He shrugged and brought his hand to the back of his neck, rubbing it as if it was aching. "No, I just have a lot on my mind."

"Do you," Rose mused curiously. "Mind sharing?"

"Why do you care?"

"I was just asking, Scorpius, no need to get snippy."

He continued massaging the back of his neck. "Right, well, sorry."

Did _he_ just apologize?

"Are you feeling ill?"

"Excuse me?" Scorpius questioned, letting his hand drop to his side.

Rose chuckled quietly. "You just apologized to me. That's never happened before. I don't even think I've ever heard you speak the word '_sorry'_."

"Yes, well…" his voice drifted. "Like I said, Weasley-I have a lot on my mind."

"Oh," her mouth remained in an 'O' shape. She wanted so badly to say something more, but the words just wouldn't come to her. They were on the tip of her tongue. Before she thought against it she said, "You can talk to me about it…" Rose paused, "If you want."

Scorpius laughed then, out of the blue, and Rose couldn't help but look at him as if he had gone completely mental.

"Like you'd ever understand."

Rose crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. "I might."

"Do you mind taking a walk with me, Rose?"

"What?"

"Well you want to know what I've been thinking about; I'm not just going to stand here in the middle of the hall and tell stories."

Rose agreed. A walk sounded…well, _nice_.

"Okay."

…

The sun was just resting on the horizon when Scorpius and Rose made their way to the deserted Qudditch pitch. It was rather cold for the early morning, but Rose didn't mind. It was nice to get a breath of fresh air.

"So tell me," she started as she sat down right in the middle of the pitch, fiddling with the long strands of green grass in between her fingers. "What's on your mind?"

Scorpius forced a laugh. He must be going mental...was he really about to confide in Rose Weasley? It was better than talking to any of his friends, certainly, and he knew that for sure. They'd never understand what he was going through. But then again, would Rose? Probably not, but like he had said before, she needed to know.

"You have to promise not to say a word of this to anyone," he demanded seriously, taking a seat next to Rose in the grass. She nodded.

"It's about yesterday," he began. "You know, when we were in the library, and were talking about our families?"

Of course Rose knew. It had invaded her thoughts all last night, even after she had gone to sleep. "Yes, I do."

He drew a deep breath. "I don't even know why I'm saying this. He wouldn't be happy if he knew I was about to tell you…"

"Who, Scorpius? What're you talking about?"

"My father," he spit out angrily after a long pause. His father?

"I don't understand."

Scorpius let out another short, hard laugh. "You never will."

"But-"

"You won't."

"Then just explain."

"I just- I can't tell you the things he says, Rose. It's wrong."

"Words won't break me, Scorpius." Rose muttered. Their eyes locked in the most dangerous gaze, and she could honestly admit that she was frightened. What had she gotten herself into?

"Yes, but my family will."

Rose shut her eyes, trying so hardly to understand what he was telling her. What could his parents possibly be saying that he couldn't share? Sure, she and Scorpius aren't friends by any means, but neither are the two enemies. He could trust her. "Please, Scorpius," she pleaded, opening her eyes. "Explain."

He looked up with what looked to Rose as pleading grey eyes. She hadn't quite noticed how pale he really was until now, and she mentally cussed, realizing how irrelevant that was to this situation. He didn't respond.

"What are you parents saying that's so bloody terrible?"

"Blood-traitors and muggle-born."

Rose's brows knit together, "Blood-traitors and muggle-born? What about them?"

"Your family-Blood traitors. Your own mother-Muggle-born." He stated simply, rising from his seat on the pitch and turning away from her heavy gaze.

"So?"

He turned slowly to face her, taking his time before speaking. "My family, especially father, despises people of the sort. He wants to rid of them, Rose. Don't you understand? He wants a world with nothing but pure-bloods! As if that could happen," Scorpius ended, his voice rising in octave, becoming more hysterical with each word that came from his mouth. "It's mental, really. This isn't the time of Voldemort when the entire wizarding world was nothing but hate and prejudice! All of this rubbish should be over with. Father should let it go. But he doesn't; he won't."

Rose drew a deep breath, slowly comprehending each and everything Scorpius had dumped on her. Before giving it too much thought she asked, "Does this mean-"

"He wants to rid of them, Rose."

"Rid of them, as in-"

"Kill them."

The gasp that flew from her mouth was so loud that it was as if she had screamed from the top of her lungs. Scorpius quickly through a hand over her mouth, keeping her quiet enough for no one to hear them, although they both knew no one could hear them this early in the morning.

Scorpius kept his hand over her mouth until a moment later when he reached up with his thumb to brush at the tears that had fallen from her eyes.


	6. Chapter 5: Collision

Inevitable

_Chapter 5: Collision_

_"Words won't break me, Scorpius." Rose muttered. Their eyes locked in the most dangerous gaze, and she could honestly admit that she was frightened. What had she gotten herself into?_

_"Yes, but my family will."_

_Rose shut her eyes, trying so hardly to understand what he was telling her. What could his parents possibly be saying that he couldn't share? Sure, she and Scorpius aren't friends by any means, but neither are the two enemies. He could trust her. "Please, Scorpius," she pleaded, opening her eyes. "Explain."_

_He looked up with what looked to Rose as pleading grey eyes. She hadn't quite noticed how pale he really was until now, and she mentally cussed, realizing how irrelevant that was to this situation. He didn't respond._

_"What are you parents saying that's so bloody terrible?"_

_"Blood-traitors and muggle-born."_

_Rose's brows knit together, "Blood-traitors and muggle-born? What about them?"_

_"Your family-Blood traitors. Your own mother-Muggle-born." He stated simply, rising from his seat on the pitch and turning away from her heavy gaze._

_"So?"_

_He turned slowly to face her, taking his time before speaking. "My family, especially father, despises people of the sort. He wants to rid of them, Rose. Don't you understand? He wants a world with nothing but pure-bloods! As if that could happen," Scorpius ended, his voice rising in octave, becoming more hysterical with each word that came from his mouth. "It's mental, really. This isn't the time of Voldemort when the entire wizarding world was nothing but hate and prejudice! All of this rubbish should be over with. Father should let it go. But he doesn't; he won't."_

_Rose drew a deep breath, slowly comprehending each and everything Scorpius had dumped on her. Before giving it too much thought she asked, "Does this mean-"_

_"He wants to rid of them, Rose."_

_"Rid of them, as in-"_

_"Kill them."_

_The gasp that flew from her mouth was so loud that it was as if she had screamed from the top of her lungs. Scorpius quickly through a hand over her mouth, keeping her quiet enough for no one to hear them, although they both knew no one could hear them this early in the morning._

_Scorpius kept his hand over her mouth until a moment later when he reached up with his thumb to brush at the tears that had fallen from her eyes._

_..._

"Don't speak of this to anyone," Scorpius told Rose, just slightly above a whisper, before rising from his spot in the grass to walk towards the castle, hopefully in time to catch the lot of students making their awaiting the Hogsmeade trip.

"Scorpius," she whispered, catching up to him. "I have to tell Albus-at the very least. He needs to know; it is his family, too."

He shook his head. "No, not even him." Scorpius' hand went to the back of his neck again. Was this just a habit that Rose had missed? He seemed to be tending to that area a lot lately. If it wasn't a habit, then there must be something wrong.

"But-"

"Just keep it to yourself, please? It'll make both of our lives easier; trust me," he hissed.

How so? "From what you're telling me Scorpius, my life is in danger-my family! What am I supposed to do? I can't just wait around here knowing that people are after the ones I love!" She hadn't once paused once to take a breath. "Please, Scorpius. What am I to do?"

He stopped his hasty pace suddenly, turning to face her. They had reached the courtyard now, and as expected, students were lined up, dressed and ready for Hogsmeade.

"I have it under control," he told her quietly. "I'm going to stop him; all of them."

"But how?"

He huffed, clearly frustrated. "Just stop asking questions, alright? I _will_ fix this."

"I-" Rose stuttered nervously. She was shaking. She was nervous, yes. She was also angry, frustrated, so utterly confused, and she was terrified all at the same time. She hoped to God that Scorpius hadn't noticed her hands shaking, or her trembling lip. She did not want to cry again. It was bad enough that she had already let her guard down and cried so willingly in front of him once before. "I'm just-I just don't know what to do."

"It'll be okay, Rose." He said her name again. "Everything will be okay."

And with that, he was gone, and not to be seen again by Rose that day.

…

She should've enjoyed her time at Hogsmeade with her cousins and friends today, but Scorpius' words ran rampant in her mind.

"_Kill them."_

Kill them!

She just needed to speak with him.

Rose was slowly making her way to her room, tears streaming silently down her face. Tears that were mixed with so many different emotions, there was no way of keeping track. Her head was pounding just as fast as her frantic heart, and her eyes were stinging with tears.

She just could not understand why anyone want to hurt her parents…her family?

They were no longer a threat to the muggle world, let alone the wizarding world!

All this shite was supposed to be left behind in the times when Voldemort reigned. The war had occurred; victory lying on our side, and the prejudice had slowly melted along with it's leader. The hate between the families of death eaters and her own should be long left behind.

Shouldn't it?

Those were the last thoughts that ran through Rose's mind before she saw nothing but dark, and the feeling of her head hitting the ground with a large, _thud_.

…

Hands were all over Rose.

Hands were moving frantically over her forehead, across her arms, on her shoulders. They were pleading movements, she realized. But why?

She could barely hear the voices speaking above her. She had a feeling they were calling her name, but she couldn't be completely sure. They sounded concerned.

What exactly happened?

Where was she?

How did she get here?

Her eyes were barely peeled open when she felt someone engulf her in a huge embrace…an embrace all too familiar.

"Rosie!" Al shouted with relief. Rose's eyes took a bit of time to focus on her cousin before she hugged him back, still in a slight daze.

"What-"she choked. "Where?"

"You're in the common room, Rose. You fainted," Hugo spoke up from behind Al then, moving his way through others to hug his sister.

She heard her cousin Lily speak then, "Oh, Rose! Thank goodness you're alright."

"Yeah," Rose mumbled. She fainted?

"Can you stand, Rose?" James asked from the side of her, holding her by the elbows to slowly assist her off the floor.

"I'm good," she responded, thanking her family silently for their help. "I'm just a bit tired."

"I'll help you to bed," Lily and Rose's other roommate, Aria, offered instantaneously.

"Thank you."

"Let us know if you need anything, Rosie," Al told her as she padded her way to the stairs. She looked back at the three boys with nothing but sympathy. How could anyone want to hurt them?

Sure, they were stubborn, and took advantage of girls way too often, but they never once purposely set out to hurt another…so why would someone want to hurt them?

"I love you boys," Rose confessed, before making her way up to bed for the night.

She wouldn't wake until noon the next day.

…

"_Ah, Miss Weasley…I've been expecting you."_

_The room was dark. The décor was dreary, and the atmosphere itself was morose._

_She said nothing to the man standing before her. Her teeth were clenched, jaw locked. She was visibly terrified, but she was to stand her ground. She was strong._

_The tall man standing dangerously close to her front looked all too familiar, but in her state of shock, was unable to recognize where she had seen the face before. His features were overly dramatic-a pointy nose, a tight lip, defined cheekbones, and the palest skin she had ever seen. His eyes were cold and dark, almost as dark as the cloak on his back._

_He spoke again. "I'm surprised your family hasn't shown up to rescue you. After all," he paused, running a hand under her chin. He made her look him in the eyes, her own threatening to spill with tears. "It's the entire family I want."_

"_Why?" she choked out. How badly she wanted to say something more. Even act on this man! She would hit him if she could, but much to her dismay, she couldn't find the strength to move her hand upward…or any limb for that matter._

"_Why?" He mimicked, letting out a solid, taunting laugh. "Because you disgust me."_

_He hit her then-square in the face with a loud _slap!

_She squealed in protest while colliding with the cold, hard, tiled floor. The tears fell from her eyes, too, constructing her vision. Her cheek caught fire from the intense blow she'd just received. But what in fact hurt the most was that she had done nothing to deserve such harsh treatment. _Rather it be her than my family_, she thought._

"_Get up."_

_She heard his demand, but was unable to find the strength to follow the directions given to her. She knew she wasn't a slave by any sorts to this man._

"_Get up!" He yelled again and again, while she cried out in defeat as his foot collided with her crumbled body, now lying limp on the floor._

_She was so close to falling apart completely; to succumbing to the threatening darkness._

_He moved closer to her lifeless body, bending over to lean close to her face._

_He moved his mouth over to her ear, whispering lightly, "You think I'd actually help you? You thought I'd help you escape from the fate chosen for you such a long time ago?"_

_She gasped._

"_Scorpius!"_

Rose was falling, falling, falling, falling in darkness, and just when she was about to collide with the ground completely, she woke up, warm tears racing down her face.


End file.
